Hong Kong's securities regulator aims to introduce a yuan trading counter under the southbound Stock Connect scheme by July 1 next year, as part of a broader plan to strengthen the city's yuan ecosystem and capital markets.

The SFC said it will also broaden yuan-denominated products, including exchange-traded funds and gold, currency and commodity futures.

The regulator plans to deepen mutual market access by enhancing existing connect schemes and aims to launch REIT connect in the first half of 2027.

The SFC outlined 29 measures that could be implemented within a year and another 22 longer-term initiatives, covering yuan markets, market connectivity and capital-market efficiency.